As the number of boats on the Canal & River Trust’s London’s waterways* continues to increase, research for the first time shows just how many people are making their homes on boats in the capital, the charity reports today.

The Canal & River Trust’s annual national boat count has confirmed that licence evasion rates are below 5% for the sixth year in a row – with 95.4% of boats on the 2,000 miles of CRT waterways holding up-to-date licences.

The Canal & River Trust has filled four key customer service vacancies. Three waterway managers have been appointed to replace staff who have moved on to other roles and, in addition, a new head of business boating who will oversee the Trust’s dealings with the many waterway businesses across the network has been appointed ahead . . . → Read More: New Appointments at Canal & River Trust

Canl & River Trust has been left with a £10,000 clean-up bill after it discovered seven looted safes amongst debris at the bottom of a 200 year old lock near Leicester city centre. Engineers from the Canal & River Trust, the charity which cares for the nation’s waterways, were stunned to discover the safes along . . . → Read More: Canal charity discovers 7 safes dumped into lock

This autumn, the chairs of four of the Trust’s Waterway Partnerships (Manchester & Pennine, North Wales & Borders, South Wales & Severn and West Midlands) plus the chair of our Museums & Attractions Partnership, are coming to the end of their first volunteering term. Each is eligible to apply for reappointment for a second term . . . → Read More: Five Partnership chairs come to the end of their volunteering term

A sight once common on Stoke’s canals returns this weekend as narrowboats loaded with coal moor up for the Etruria Canals Festival on Saturday 31 May and Sunday 1 June. Two boats, Aquarius and Ilford, dating from 1935 and 1912, will revive memories as they arrive with forty tons of . . . → Read More: Coal boats back in Stoke at the 21st Etruria Canals Festival.

The Canal & River Trust is partnering with English Heritage on a national pilot project which could significantly improve the way national custodians of heritage, such as the Trust, are able to look after the listed buildings and structures in their care.